My nephew David turned ONE year old on Friday. Now I understand when all of my parents' friends say "you were only this big last time I saw you." Although, at this point, I would question their dedication to the friendship if they actually said that out loud. Thanks to the wonderful world of facebook and blogging, I can stalk my friends' babies throughout their childhood so I will never be surprised when I actually see them in person. But watching them grow up as a "grown up" myself comes with a completely different perspective than it did when I was a kid. I was there when David was born. I remember every second of the labor that would culminate with the birth of this tiny, perfect, little boy. At one minute shy of "full-term," he entered the world with an audience that could fill Oprah's studio. There couldn't be two more deserving parents of such a sweet child than Amy and Alex. From the moment he was born, they have looked at him with incredible love and adoration. Every second with him brings them unmeasured joy. It's heartwarming and inspiring to watch. And as his proud Aunt, I have treasured every milestone he makes. I cried when I saw him using a sippy cup for the first time. Real honest to goodness tears of pride. I nearly lost it when he (perhaps coincidentally) responded to me calling his first name out loud. And I couldn't stop showing everyone the photo message I received of David eating his birthday breakfast on Friday. I hope one day I can love my own kids half as much as I love this one.

 This is the look that must be on my face 80% of my day. I know David, it's a "what in the heck" kind of world.

 He hates it when we make him look silly

 I love this one. It looks like he is motioning the waiter for some birthday cake. How polite.

 And there he goes

The cake above was a "bug" cake from Aunt Lindsey. And the little one below was his personal "smash" cake

Time for presents. Cards first. He is so well-mannered.

More Pictures!

My camera's memory card was recovered! A tip of the hat to you, Photo Craft in Burke Centre. Venice, Villach, Salzburg, Florence, Pisa and Munich will now live on in pixels forever.

Drumroll Please

Will received his next Air Force assignment. We've been waiting forever. The suspense was almost too much to handle. After discussing possible options that would land us somewhere between Alaska and Portugal he finally got the official word on Friday. Drumroll please..........













We're going to Luke AFB in PHOENIX!!! And he's moving in December! I can't believe that he will be stateside in just over a month. Dry heat and good hair days here I come (not in December, but soon).

We are Live

We took a few video snippets while we were abroad...Here's what I have so far. Still waiting to find out if the first half of my trip will be recovered from the memory card :-/

Driving around Aviano Air Base

Riding up the Rodlebaun

Walking around Munich

Walking around Olympic Park in Munich

Random kid I caught on tape

The Gardens in Salzburg

Back from Europe

It's official. I'm back in town. In America, that is. Against my will, but home nonetheless. Will and I had an amazing time in Europe and the best part is, he is home safe and sound along with everyone else from Aviano. I knew that I wouldn't sleep on the plane going to see him, so my friend Belfy (code name) hooked me up with some xanax so that I could at least get a good night's sleep the day before. It worked like a charm. I don't know how anyone walks around on that stuff, but I digress. Will was waiting for me at the airport and after waiting for what seemed like hours for my luggage, we reunited after five long months. It was magical (Amy - get your bucket). And off we went into the sunset.....well almost. There were a few days of "reintegration" stuff that everyone on base had to go through and then we were free. Two weeks of traveling to Venice, Florence, Pisa, Villach Austria, Salzburg Austria and Munich, Germany.

We drove all over the Autostrada and Audobaun, stopping at the world's most luxurious rest stops along the way. Seriously, these places were Sheetz on steroids. We climbed to the top of the tallest tower in every city, conquering steep and narrow stairwells while dodging non-regulation size camera lenses and tourists with walkers and canes. Yes, they also attempted to summit the leaning tower of Pisa and San Marco tower. Their success is yet to be determined. We had an amazing time and feel so blessed that we were able to spend this time together. Here are the initial highlights...more to come!

 The Gardens in Salzburg

 The Salzburg fortress

 At the Hoffbrau House

 Girls in Dirndls

 We dance in public frequently

 The Olympic Pool in Munich

 A walk through the English Gardens in Munich

 Beer tables in the English Gardens

 Post Spa Day!

 The Mountains at Aviano

 Gardens in Salzburg

 My walking GPS. Give him a map and he's a happy man. And he can get me anywhere in any city



Countdown Complete

His jar is always on the left. My jar is always on the right. One day at a time, time will always pass. We made it!!!

Welcome Home

As I write this, Captain William Andreotta aka "D-Rail" is on his way home to Sacile, Italy after his first deployment to Afghanistan. Everyone says it feels like it's gone by so quickly, but we have felt every long second of it. There have been worrisome days and terrorizing nights when I've lay awake wondering if I will see him again. It's heart wrenching. But then the call or the email comes and soothes my heart and we go on, one marble at a time. Today I know how lucky I really am. I know that there are soldiers who haven't come home and I can't imagine the pain their families feel. It's never far from my mind that Will survived in a place where American soldiers have given their lives. Today a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. The tightness in my chest is gone and I am elated that he is coming home.

As I fly over to Italy to welcome home the man of my dreams, I am excited for so many things. Of course I can't wait to jump into his arms. But I'm also grateful for so many little things, like the ability to return his call if I miss one. To leave him a voicemail. To know that he has water everyday and can shower anytime. To find out where and when our next assignment will be. To be able to say I love you every morning in person, not just in email. To have a glass of wine. To see all of the other pilots who will return with him. To know that when he does go back to work in a few weeks, that he won't be flying in a combat zone. To let him cook me dinner (he wants to, he loves to cook). To hold his hand. And to just be able to breathe without fear.

If you know someone who's loved one is deployed right now, hug them. They need all the support they can get until their soldiers come home. As for me, I'm going to pick mine up and spend the next two weeks on a European vacation! We made it and I'm so grateful for all the support you all gave me this summer while Will was away. It means more than you will ever know. Welcome home D-Rail.

Ciao.